82 BOTTOM FISHING IN THE NOTTINGHAM STYLE. 



the tackle that is necessary to take him ; the rod, reel, and 

 line described in Chapter II , and recommended for chub, 

 will do, but if the angler goes in for roach fishing alone, 

 then a rod that is lighter will be better ; such an one, for 

 instance, as I have now before me, made for me by David 

 Slater, of !N'ewark. The length is about twelve feet tapered 

 from the butt to the point to a nicety ; wire guards are on 

 the rings, and these prevent the line from catching or hitch- 

 ing round them. Such a rod will hook a roach in an 

 instant, by that almost imperceptible turn of the wrist so 

 necessary in a good roach angler. It is well balanced and 

 only weighs about 10 oz.; this is a splendid roach rod, but, as 

 I have said before, for the working-man angler who goes in for 

 general bottom fishing, and can afford only one rod, the 

 first-mentioned one will be the best ; if he goes in for roach 

 alone, he can, if he likes, have one of the very finest Derb}/* 

 twist lines, instead of the next size recommended for chub ; 

 and his bottom tackle should also be of the very finest gut 

 he can buy. He should make his bottom tackle from three 

 to five feet in length, to suit the depth of the water ; though 

 a five-foot tackle will be long enough if he has to fish 

 fifteen feet deep. Some anglers use horsehair for their 

 tackle, which will do very well ; but I have seen gut thinner 

 than horsehair, and I am sure that fine gut is better in all 

 respects than hair. I have used no hair lately, and I have 

 come to the conclusion, after careful practice, that extra fine 

 gut is the best. 



A very important article in a roach fisher's outfit is his 

 float ; if the water is quiet or very nearly so, he must have 

 a float made of the smallest of goose quills, one that will 

 carry about three are four split shots ; but if there is a bit of 

 a stream, he can increase the size of his float, and the number 

 of shots on the tackle. He need not on any account have a 

 float any larger than will carry about eight small shots ; in- 



